Meet the Artist – Chocolate Creative

Meet Margarita Lorenzo, the textile/graphic designer behind Chocolate Creative.                                                                           

Tell us about your work. What do you make?
I make textiles mainly cushions, an other accessories such as tea towels, bags, lavender hearts, purses and Christmas decorations.

What is your background in? Did you go to school to learn your printing processes?
I started out as a graphic designer after training in fine art and graphic design in Spain and England. After many years working mainly in graphics, my passion for textiles drove me to learn and discover new ways to apply my graphic knowledge to textiles; so I started my training in Printmaking and textiles, where I discovered screen printing and fall in love with the process!! I learned different printing and dying techniques, as well as how to work with different materials and produce my own patterns. This is a learning process that never ends!!.

Where do you get your inspiration for your prints?
I look for inspiration in traditional craft, embroidery, stitching, old linens, vintage textiles, the colours and look of old houses in Cuba and Brazil, etc…I like mixing the old with the new and that is what I try in each design, to bring a bit tradition into a contemporary piece.  My love for interior design, and anything to do with furniture, antiques and old loved things, led me to develop the ‘Decayed Glamour’ collection.

Why are you taking part in Wandsworth Artists Open House? It is always nice to spend some time with other creative people, and meet new faces and promote the business, I am very much looking forward to show the new eco textile line, and the new vintage designs for children.

What’s your favorite part of creating a piece?
The hand made collections use a long crafted process, from the drawing of the pattern to the silk screen printing to the sewing. I enjoy every step of the process but I would say that the beginning of each collection is the most exciting one: the brainstorm for ideas, sketching and looking for inspiration in museum, (my favorite V&A in London), junk/ antiques markets and shops. I love experimenting with different inks colors, and materials.

Whats a fun, random fact or story involving your work?
I have a small studio at home where I print and do the rest of the work, this small space doesn’t allow me to work at big scale or do other things like printing many colors at one, but rather that seeing this fact as a negative one I use the hands on process to create more personal and unique pieces, sometimes I get happy accidents that leads me to a new design or challenge my work in a different direction.

Who are your favorite artists?
So many people inspires me, specially people who had a difficult life and never gave up on their work, such as Vincent van Gogh, as well as the architect Les Corbusier and his visions for a modern life. Designers like Lisa Stickley who stared making textiles and now have grown her collections and has opened a beautiful shop in London, and so many talented designers and makers – that I get to discover every week through the amazing global blog community and magazines – that make a living out of what they love, run small business and make our lives more beautiful with their creations!!.

What’s the next step for your work? Do you have any upcoming projects you could tell us about?
I already print on ecologically sound fabrics, such as hemp and organic cotton. So I would like to carry on my research into sustainable fabrics and way of printing, I would like to make my products as ecologically as possible. I have started to think of the new collection which I would like to launch next year, together with looking into printing on ceramics.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?
That, if you are lucky enough to find your passion in life, go for it!! Don’t be scared of trying, it is very rewarding to work on something you love and feel passionate about it. Sometimes it is very hard, and it is difficult to stay motivated but somehow I get my strength from my heart to keep me going.  Believe in what you do, work hard, stay positive and when feeling doubts, stop, have a break, relax and enjoy life, look for inspiration around you, and come back with more energy and a fresher approach!!!

Thank you.  Chocolate Creative will be at veuue 70 during week 2 of the open house.